U.S. patent application number 13/014050 was filed with the patent office on 2011-07-28 for vehicle body.
This patent application is currently assigned to DR. ING. H.C.F. PORSCHE AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT. Invention is credited to Okan Goenueldinc, Tobias Posch.
Application Number | 20110181076 13/014050 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 44279030 |
Filed Date | 2011-07-28 |
United States Patent
Application |
20110181076 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Posch; Tobias ; et
al. |
July 28, 2011 |
VEHICLE BODY
Abstract
A vehicle body for a motor vehicle has a vehicle rear end with
body inner side parts spaced apart from one another and delimiting
an engine bay. An assembly support runs in the vehicle transverse
direction between the two body-side side parts. The assembly
support is formed as a light metal forged part. Weight-optimized
stiffening of the vehicle rear end can be obtained in this way.
Inventors: |
Posch; Tobias; (Pforzheim,
DE) ; Goenueldinc; Okan; (Ostfildern, DE) |
Assignee: |
DR. ING. H.C.F. PORSCHE
AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
Stuttgart
DE
|
Family ID: |
44279030 |
Appl. No.: |
13/014050 |
Filed: |
January 26, 2011 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
296/203.04 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B62D 25/08 20130101;
B62D 25/087 20130101; B62D 29/008 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
296/203.04 |
International
Class: |
B62D 25/08 20060101
B62D025/08 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jan 28, 2010 |
DE |
10 2010 006 502.1 |
Claims
1. A vehicle body for a motor vehicle, comprising a vehicle rear
end with body inner side parts spaced apart from one another and
delimiting an engine bay therebetween, and an assembly support
running in the vehicle transverse direction between the two body
side parts, the assembly support being formed as a light metal
forged part.
2. The vehicle body of claim 1, wherein the assembly support is
formed as an aluminum forged part or as a magnesium forged
part.
3. The vehicle body of claim 2, wherein the assembly support has a
framework structure at least in regions.
4. The vehicle body of claim 3, wherein the framework structure has
at least two supports extending in the vehicle transverse direction
rearward of the engine bay, a plurality of struts spaced apart in
the vehicle transverse direction and extending between the two
supports extending in the vehicle transverse direction.
5. The vehicle body of claim 4, wherein the struts include a
plurality of struts extending in a vehicle longitudinal direction
that is perpendicular to the vehicle transverse direction and a
plurality of diagonal struts aligned diagonally to both the vehicle
transverse direction and the vehicle longitudinal direction.
6. The vehicle body of claim 5, wherein the framework structure is
anodized.
7. The vehicle body of claim 5, wherein the framework structure is
screwed securely to the two body side parts.
8. The vehicle body of claim 1, wherein the assembly support is
produced in a forging process.
9. The vehicle body of claim 1, wherein the assembly support is a
stiffening support.
10. An assembly support formed as a light metal forged part for the
motor vehicle of claim 1.
11. The assembly support of claim 10, wherein at least regions of
the assembly support have a framework structure.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims priority under 35 USC 119 to German
Patent Application No. 10 2010 006 502.1, filed on Jan. 28, 2010,
the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by
reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The invention relates to a vehicle body for a motor vehicle.
The invention also relates to an assembly support for a motor
vehicle.
[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0005] German Patent Application DE 10 2008 036 188.7 discloses a
generic vehicle body for a motor vehicle with a vehicle rear end
with body inner side parts spaced from one another and outer
rear-end paneling. An assembly support runs in the vehicle
transverse direction between the two body inner side parts. The
assembly support is connected fixedly to the two inner side parts
by screws and forms a stiffening body cross member. The disclosure
of DE 10 2008 036 188.7 is intended to stiffen the vehicle rear end
with a simple structure and to form a subassembly for a retractable
and deployable rear spoiler.
[0006] EP 0 146 716 B1 discloses a vehicle body with tube pieces
that are joined together by junction elements to form a supporting
structure. The tube pieces are extruded profiles produced from
light metal so that the car body can be of comparatively
lightweight.
[0007] EP 1 601 568 B1 discloses a motor vehicle with an
air-guiding device that can be deployed by a drive and that has an
air-guiding surface. A beyond-dead-center position of a setting-out
pivot lever of a setting-out mechanism in the deployed spoiler
position ensures that a pressure on the deployed air guiding
surface cannot collapse the setting-out mechanism.
[0008] The invention is concerned with a vehicle body that has a
high level of stiffness and a comparatively low weight.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] The invention relates to a vehicle body for a motor vehicle
having a vehicle rear end with inner side parts spaced apart from
one another and an outer rear line of inserting between the two
side parts. The vehicle body includes an assembly support formed as
a light metal forged part and that runs in the vehicle transverse
direction. In this way, it is possible to provide a stiff rear-end
body structure and a receiving module for pre-assemblable
components, such as a rear spoiler or the like. The assembly
support of the invention is formed as a light metal forged part and
has several decisive advantages as compared to previous assembly
supports formed, for example, as cast parts. The advantages
include: process reliability, high joint quality, high elongation
at fracture, high fracture toughness and considerably improved
fatigue properties. Furthermore, it is possible to produce such an
assembly support formed as a light metal forged part with high
dimensional accuracy. Thus, reworking expenditure can be reduced
considerably. The fine surface provided in the case of light metal
forged parts also may be refined, for example by anodization.
Furthermore, such light metal forged parts have no cavities and
therefore result in high quality. A decisive advantage, however, is
the low weight obtained by the assembly support of the invention,
which is of particular importance in sports car engineering.
[0010] At least selected regions of the assembly support preferably
has a framework structure. The framework structure makes it
possible to design the assembly support to withstand loading while
being optimized in terms of weight. In comparison with an assembly
support formed of solid material, it is possible to calculate the
profile of the individual struts of the framework structure in
advance by means of a finite element program, so that struts of the
type are arranged only in those regions of the assembly support in
which they are actually required for dissipating loads. Such
framework structures already have been used successfully for a long
time, for example in pylon construction for high-voltage lines, and
are capable of dissipating high loads while simultaneously having a
low own weight.
[0011] The features specified above and the features yet to be
explained below can be used in the respectively specified
combination and also in other combinations or individually without
departing from the scope of the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
[0012] FIG. 1 shows a vehicle body according to the invention
having an assembly support arranged at the rear end.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0013] A vehicle body 1 according to the invention of an otherwise
only partially illustrated motor vehicle has a vehicle rear end 2
as shown in FIG. 1. The vehicle body 1 which comprises body-side
inner side parts 3 and 3' that are spaced apart from one another
and that delimit an engine bay 4. Inserted between the two inner
side parts 3 and 3' is an assembly support 5 that runs in the
vehicle transverse direction and that is formed as a light metal
forged part, in particular as an aluminum forged part. Other light
metals, for example magnesium, can be taken into consideration for
forming the assembly support 5. The assembly support 5 is
releasably connected, in particular screwed, at its longitudinal
ends to the two side parts 3 and 3'. In general, the assembly
support 5 functions both to stiffen the vehicle rear end 2 in the
vehicle transverse direction and also to receive further
components, for example an air-guiding device, spoiler or wing (not
shown). Forming the assembly support 5 as an aluminum forged part,
results in a comparatively low weight, but also offers the
following advantages over an assembly support formed as an aluminum
cast part: high process reliability, high joint quality, high
elongation at fracture, high fracture toughness and improved
fatigue properties. Furthermore, the assembly support 5 according
to the invention has the great advantage that, with said assembly
support, it is also possible to produce complex shapes that require
no reworking or only an extremely small amount of reworking.
[0014] Aluminum forged parts furthermore have a high level of
dimensional accuracy and are conventionally free from pores and
cavities, as a result of which it is likewise possible to ensure
high quality. The inherently very fine surface of the assembly
support 5 formed as a light metal forged part may be refined, for
example by anodization. Such a fine structure of the assembly
support 5 can be produced only to a limited extent during casting
on account of the flow behavior, since the liquid light metal
solidifies comparatively quickly in thin ducts. This would also
result in a large number of joint lines which, as a result of a
convergence of flow fronts, would weaken the assembly support in
terms of strength. In a casting process, there is also the great
disadvantage that different sizes of material accumulations result
in different rates of cooling of the assembly support, which can
lead to distortion.
[0015] Considering more closely the assembly support 5 of FIG. 1,
it can be seen that at least regions of the assembly support 5 have
a framework structure 6 with individual struts 7. Similarly to a
high-voltage pylon, such a framework structure 6 permits a high
degree of stiffness while simultaneously having a low weight. Here,
the position of the individual struts 7 may be calculated in
advance, for example by means of a finite element program, such
that the struts are provided only at those locations at which they
are imperatively required for load dissipation. Such an assembly
support 5 equipped with the framework structure 6 according to the
invention, while having a further reduced weight, is therefore
capable of absorbing and dissipating high loads.
[0016] In general, the assembly support 5 may be produced in a drop
forging process, as a result of which such an assembly support 5
can be produced firstly with a high level of quality and secondly
in a cost-effective manner. The assembly support 5 or some other
similar support formed as a light metal forged part also can be
used at some other location in the motor vehicle.
[0017] The assembly support provided with a framework structure and
composed of light metal could also be produced in a casting
process.
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